Empty plates and glasses littered the table as the four friends sat around the back deck, watching the sun set and remembering old times. "Okay, so I got one," Seth announced, tossing his napkin into his plate, his left arm draped over the back of Summer's chair. "Tijuana."

Summer's arm shot out, connecting with her boyfriend's stomach. "Cohen," she gritted.

But Marissa drank from her water glass and shook her head. "It's okay, Sum," she assured her friend, resting a hand on the table top. "It was a huge thing for all of us."

If that was what she wanted to believe, Summer would let her believe it.Even though it wasn't that big at all. Seth's comic launch had been huge. So had their high school graduation, andSummer's college graduation. Ryan's return to Newport and the housewarming party for the new abode, thosehad been huge. But Marissa had missed all of that. And Summer had to keep reminding herself that she had determined not to hold those things against her childhood best friend.

"That was the first time we all did something together, wasn't it?" Summer asked, looking over at Seth, who just nodded.

"Remember how grossed out Summer was by the hotel room?" Seth asked Ryan.

Ryan realized in that moment that he didn't want to be anywhere but in that seat, laughing with three of the people he loved more than anyone else in the world. He loved hearing Seth's stupid jokes and the way Summer told him to shut up and Marissa just laughed at both of them. He loved sitting this close to Marissa and not worrying about anything but making her smile. He missed that more than he thought he had.

"That room was foul," Summer protested, looking to Marissa for support. "Remember how totally gross the bathroom was?"

Rolling his eyes, Ryan leaned back in his chair. "And yet you had no problems with the hostels in Amsterdam, or the community bathrooms."

Marissa looked around the table as Seth, Summer, and Ryan all nodded together in agreement, and she wondered if she belonged there with them anymore. She had done everything possible to distance herself from this group, but knowing that they hadn't been sitting around, waiting for her to get back, filled her with a tangle of emotions that caused a nausea in the pit of her stomach.

"I feel I've grown as a person," Summer nodded toward Ryan, who just shook his head and swished the melting ice around the glass.

"You guys went to Amsterdam?" Marissa finally asked. She could either pout over the fact that they had a life without her, or she could accept that it was her own fault, and do what she came here to do, catch up with the only friends she had left.

"Seth wanted to go this big music festival, so we decided to tag along," Summer informed.

"Did you love it?" Marissa always loved Amsterdam, but usually had a hard time remembering what she had done there.

"It was cool," Seth nodded, looking over at Ryan. "Ryan had fun," he winked.

"Really?" Marissa asked, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

Suddenly, he felt uncomfortable. Seth didn't need to tell Marissa about the time that they got high at a hash bar in Amsterdam or that Ryan took some random Italian supermodel back to the hotel. Nobody needed to tell Marissa that stuff. "I'm gonna get some more to drink," he announced, standing and making his way to the kitchen.

Leaning against the counter, he tried to collect his thoughts. For the entire night, the only thing running through his head had been Marissa. He had wanted to keep things friendly, but the longer he sat at her side, listening to her talk and laugh, the more he wanted to reach over and take her hand in his own, the more he wanted to scoot closer and brush her shoulder against his.

"You don't have to be so careful around me, ya know?" her voice sounded from the glass doorway.

"What?" Ryan asked, shocked out of his reverie by her wide smile.

Pushing off the doorframe, Marissa nodded toward the deck. "Out there," she said. "I just got the feeling that you were trying to censor yourself for me. And I wanted you to know that you don't have to," she repeated, leaning against the kitchen island while he poured himself some iced tea and tried to avoid eye contact.

"It's not," he started to speak and then stopped, confusion on his face when he met her eyes. "The thing is, Marissa, we've done a lot of stuff without you."

With a hard swallow, she nodded. He was right. She couldn't pretend like nothing had happened in her absence. "I know. I get that."

Ryan's eyebrow shot up. "Yeah?" At the slight nod of her head, he smiled. "I'm sorry," he said.

Without a second thought, she reached across the island and covered his hand with hers. They shared an intimate smile before Marissa drifted her gaze back to the couple on the deck. Seth and Summer were so immersed in one another that they didn't have any concern with their friends inside. "So, I was kind of hoping to meet Jada tonight."

Checking his watch he returned the iced tea pitcher to the refrigerator. "Sandy and Kirsten are gonna bring her by in a little bit. She's excited to meet you, too," he added.

"Yeah?" Marissa felt a familiar warmth flooding the pit of her stomach as the smile spread over her lips. "You been tellin' her all about me?"

He leaned against the sink, falling into a pattern of easy flirtation with her. "Might have showed her a few pictures," he admitted with a shrug.

Marissa felt as if she had returned to the only place she had ever felt truly, totally, and completely safe. They were lost in the world that existed deep beyond each other's blue eyes, content to wander without words. "You think she'll like me?" she asked finally.

"I think so. She pretty much likes everyone I like," he grinned knowingly.

She wanted to ask if that included her, but she didn't have to. If there was one thing she would never forget, no matter how much she drank or how many drugs she had done in her life, it was look in Ryan Atwood's eyes when he liked her. "We should probably get back out there," she finally whispered.

Ryan blinked himself out of the trance Marissa had put him in. How could she still do it? After the pep talks he had given himself, all of the times he had sworn he wasn't ready for her, or anyone else, in his life, she wasn't supposed to do this. She wasn't supposed to evoke these feelings in him anymore – he was supposed to be over it. But, as they stepped onto the deck together once again, he knew it wasn't true – he wasn't over Marissa Cooper by a long shot.

"Oh, so I was just about to come look for you guys," Seth said as Ryan and Marissa sank back into their seats around the table. "Thought you might have gotten lost or something." He got nothing but blank looks in response. "Nothing? Okay. So, we were kind of waiting for both of you to be here together because Summer and I have something to tell you."

Marissa and Ryan looked to each other and then to the couple before them. Seth started to speak, but Summer held up her left hand with a giggle. "We're getting married."